My letter PUBLISHED New York Times 7-11-2014 How to Answer the Fears of a Palestinian Mother

Rula Salameh

Education and Outreach Manager, Palestine

Budrus Producer, Home Front Co-Producer, My Neighbourhood Co-Producer

Rula is Just Vision's outreach liaison in Palestine, organizing events, interviewing peacebuilders and nonviolence activists, and maintaining contact with educators, journalists and community leaders. As one of the producers of Budrus, she played a key role in interviewing film subjects, coordinating film crews. PHOTO CREDIT Just Vision. Just Vision is a team of Palestinian, Israeli, North and South American human rights advocates, conflict resolution experts, filmmakers and journalists.

 [AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]  

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/11/opinion/how-to-answer-the-fears-of-a-palestinian-mother.html?ref=opinion

The Opinion Pages | Letters

How to Answer the Fears of a Palestinian Mother

JULY 10, 2014

To the Editor:

Re “A Mother’s Fear in East Jerusalem,” by Rula Salameh (Op-Ed, July 10), and “Religious Freedom in Peril,” by Nicholas Kristof (column, July 10):

Horrified by the hate crimes and violence generated by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ms. Salameh condemns Israel, but she doesn’t condemn the nefarious part that Islamists are playing in perpetuating the tragic conflict.

Mr. Kristof admits that he was reluctant to write his column “because religious repression is an awkward topic when it thrives in Muslim countries.”

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is ruining many lives; it needs to end, for everyone’s sake. Big-picture, inclusive thinking is the only way out of this cruel mess.

Ending the conflict with a just and lasting peace built by two fully secular sovereign states, Israel and Palestine, both fully respecting international law and universal human rights, is the best way forward.

ANNE SELDEN ANNAB
Mechanicsburg, Pa., July 10, 2014

READ MORE- my letter was one in a batch of three letters published today in response to Rula Salameh's recent column

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Original letter sent

(Keep in mind all popular mainstream newspapers have limited space, so to publish more they tend to edit letters to be as brief as possible.)

RE A Palestinian Mother’s Fear in East Jerusalem By RULA SALAMEH & Religious Freedom in Peril by Nicholas Kristof
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/10/opinion/a-palestinian-mothers-fear-in-east-jerusalem.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=c-column-top-span-region&region=c-column-top-span-region&WT.nav=c-column-top-span-region&_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/10/opinion/nicholas-kristof-religious-freedom-in-peril.html?ref=opinion

Dear Editor,

A Palestinian Mother’s Fear in East Jerusalem By Rula Salameh & Religious Freedom in Peril by Nicholas Kristof were a good mix to have in your opinion pages today.  Horrified by the hate crimes and violence generated by the Israel-Palestine conflict, Palestinian Rula Salameh condemns Israel, but she fails to notice and condemn the nefarious part that Islamists are playing in perpetuating and exasperating the tragic catastrophe that is the Israel-Palestine conflict today. 

Meanwhile, Kristof admits he was reluctant to write his column Religious Freedom in Peril "because religious repression is an awkward topic when it thrives in Muslim countries. Muslims from Gaza to Syria, Western Sahara to Myanmar, are already enduring plenty without also being scolded for intolerance." 

The Israel-Palestine conflict is ruining many people's lives, and is an influence on the entire region in many different ways: The Israel-Palestine conflict needs to end, for everyone's sake.  Big picture, inclusive thinking is the only way out of this cruel mess. Ending the Israel-Palestine conflict with a just and lasting peace built by two fully secular sovereign states, Israel and Palestine, both fully respecting international law and universal human rights is the best way forward. 

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
US Reaffirms its Support for UNRWA This new contribution brings the total fiscal year 2014 U.S. contributions to date to more than $250 million, including $135,466,589 for UNRWA’s 2014 General Fund.

I Watched

CSPAN video of a fascinating and very informative discussion regarding Israel and Palestine and America hosted by the Wilson (Woodrow) International Center for Scholars

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